


the thing about comfort

by ashhhhksf



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Fluff and Angst, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Musical References, Nonbinary Character, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Cuddling, Sleepy Cuddles, friendship is nice, if you squint like rly hard tho, the mammon subplot is entirely selfindulgent, whyd i do this to myself
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23378449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashhhhksf/pseuds/ashhhhksf
Summary: AU where the bros were (accidentally) summoned into the human world by an university student, they make pacts with the brothers and they basically become the human's cushion!TW for mentions of suicide!!!
Relationships: Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 92





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if lucifer (or anyone else) is a bit ooc!!! i wrote this piece for my school's writing club last year and tried my best to edit it to fit the bros a bit more, but it was a bit hard since i wrote the dialogue before anything else so it's basically built off the dialogue,,
> 
> (i might consider continuing the story if it gets enough positive feedback)

“There are 1 013 150 words in the English vocabulary and I simply _cannot_ find a combination of them that describes my _urge_ to hit you with a chair.”

The white-haired demon snorted, “Hah! You could give Satan a run for his money.”

“No way~~~ Satan wouldn't just describe the urge, he’d act on it!” Asmo said, watching as his brother tried to get into a comfortable position on the sofa.

Mammon stared at Asmodeus with bored eyes, lounging back on the sofa with his legs up. Rather than commenting on how stupid he looked, Asmo simply stuck his tongue out at him.

Leviathan appeared just as Mammon began to move from his spot on the sofa, plopping himself down on Mammon’s chest in order to stop him from moving. Mammon yelped, rapidly smacking Leviathan’s thigh in an effort to get him off. He ignored his brother, turning his attention to the human on the loveseat.

“Emiri. I would like to join you in acknowledging the difficulties of life.”

There's a second of silence before sputtering laughter was heard from Asmodeus and Belphegor as they stared at Leviathan with an annoyed expression. They turned to shoot a glare at the laughing pair before exclaiming, “You guys are the WORST at this comfort thing.”

Asmodeus smiled and made his way over to Emiri’s side, sliding his arms around their shoulders and humming, “Sorry darling, you're just so adorable when you're agitated.”

They let out a keening whine, pushing Asmo's arms off of them. “I made pacts with you guys so you could help me. Could you… I dunno? Try helping!?”

Belphegor dragged himself over to their side, his head dropping into their lap as he sat down on the floor. “You up for a nap?”

A tutting sound came from the doorway and everyone turned to see who entered. It was Lucifer, leaning against the doorframe with a disappointed look on his face.

“Are depression naps really your way of helping this… lowly human?” he asked.

Emiri frowned, “Take that back. Right now.”

“Initiate the pact and maybe I will,” he drawled, fixing his gloves as he stood up and walked over to the group. “Where are Satan and Beel?”

At the same time, Mammon and Asmo both said, “Kitchen.”

“I see.”

“Hey, fuckass.” The human poked his stomach, smiling when they saw him flinch in annoyance, “Can you get him off me?” They motioned towards Belphie’s sleeping body, “I don't wanna wake him up.”

He narrowed his eyes at them, “You're too nice. It infuriates me.”

“I aim to infuriate.”

Nevertheless, he complied and brought Belphie’s sleeping body back to his room before returning to the living room.

“Say, human. If ya weren't,” Mammon gestured to their body, seeming to have forgotten that Levi was still sitting on his chest, “Y’know… a mild disappointment-”

“Ouch.”

“Not sorry, but if ya weren't- wouldya have made those pacts with us?”

“And have seven all powerful demons at my mentally stable disposal? Uh, duh? I just… don't have the motivation to ask y'all to wreak havoc on the people I hate.” They pulled their legs up to their chest, eyeing the floor with some type of anger.

“Hmm… what would give you the motivation?” Leviathan asked, watching as the human continued to stare at the floor. “... What are you trying to do.” It was more a statement than a question.

“Create a hole that’ll swallow me.”

“No.” Lucifer covered their eyes, the scent of his leather gloves filling their nose. “That’s not what you're gonna do and it's not even possible.”

“Not for a human.” Their head turned in the direction of the kitchen, “Satan! Come create a hole that’ll suck me into nothingness… please.”

The blond’s head popped out, peeking into the living room, green eyes wide and filled with mischievous intent, “I'm all ears, just tell me what colour and how big you want it!”

“Pink. Neon.”

Beelzebub snorted from the kitchen, his voice shrill as he said, “If you get sucked into nothingness you're not getting anymore of Asmo’s cooking!”

Asmodeus chimed in, humming in agreement, “Don't you like the way I cook? Emiri, I’d be so sad if you couldn't taste my food anymore.”

“Why you-”

Lucifer cut in before they could reply to Asmo. “Satan. Do not make that hole and get back inside the kitchen. You know you two have to finish dinner.”

“But-”

“IN THE KITCHEN. NOW.”

“I hate you,” the human murmured, trying to force his hands away from their eyes, “I just wanna curl up and die.” 

He let go of them and frowned.

Leviathan hopped off of Mammon’s chest and squeezed himself into the space between the armrest and the human. He placed his arms around them, “Not allowed. You're staying alive.”

“Whyyyyyyyy?????”

“Not fair if you're dead and I'm stuck in this dumb house with these normie.”

They huffed, succumbing to his surprisingly warm embrace, “Fine... I guess you guys aren't so bad at this comfort thing after all.”


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW for mentions of suicide,,,

Sleep was a luxury that Emiri could not afford. Despite taking rather good care of themselves in physical terms- sleep was the one thing they fell short in. Asmodeus made it a point to remind them how bad it was for their skin, but they never paid mind to it. Belphie often offered to help them with getting some “rest,” which often ended up in him sleeping and them… really just staring at the ceiling. For hours on end. With only their thoughts. 

One night, Emiri ended up using him as a pillow- and despite his protests, he was rather happy about it. It meant they  _ wanted _ to sleep, and that they trusted him enough to believe that he wouldn’t venture off into their dreams. 

There was a soft rustling noise as they turned onto their side, nuzzling their nose into his chest, “You smell like… him…” they mumbled, surprising him. The expression on their face was one of worry. Were they having a nightmare?

He could peek into their dreams, try to help them from there. He didn’t want to wake them up, but… that was probably the only option. 

Nudging their shoulder softly, he called out to them, “Em, wake up.”

They whined, pushing his hand away.

“Emiri!”

Their expression changed to one of pain and he frowned, shaking them a bit harder. Their eyes opened in shock, not moving from their position but clenching Belphegor’s shirt as tears began to form in their eyes.

He placed a hand over theirs, trying to calm them down the best he could.

“Hey, are you alright?”

Emiri shook their head, burrowing into his chest. 

“Thanks for waking me up,” they murmured, letting go of his shirt. 

“It’s nothing.” He looked at them with concern. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

What he really wanted to ask was;

_ “Who the FUCK do I smell like?” _

He didn’t.

They hummed, drumming their fingers against his chest, “Have you ever lost something… or someone that meant the world to you?”

His expression softened, and they sat up, bringing their knees to their chest. He also sat up, watching them carefully. Something had happened in their past. Something that he could relate to.

“Yeah,” he admitted. Emiri looked over at him, their head tilting to the side. 

“Is it alright if you tell me? It just makes me a bit more comfortable talking…”

He nodded, watching their expression carefully. He thought back to the Great Celestial War and Lilith’s death, and began to recount the story to them. Their expression remained emotionless up until he mentioned Beel having to decide between saving him or Lilith.

“He thinks I blame him for her death…”

Emiri’s eyes widened, “You don’t, right?”

He shook his head, “I can’t.”

They hummed, “Family sucks sometimes… But at least you’ve still got your brothers.”

“You’ve got that right,” he laughed a bit. Their smile faltered and he cleared his throat, “C’mon, your turn.”

They held out a hand to him, waiting for him to take it so they could begin speaking. Their hand was cold compared to his, calloused from gripping their pencil too tightly for far too often over the years.

“My family… was far from perfect. I’m pretty sure my parents hated my brother and I.” They smiled at him sadly, “My brother once asked me to do a double suicide with him. I thought he was joking, so I went along with it and said yes.”

His hand tightened around theirs and moved closer to them, as if it were an instinct. 

“He…” Their voice wavered and they slumped against Belphie’s body. He noticed that they were shaking with every breath they took, their heartbeat quickened and he could sense that they were going to retreat back into themselves. 

He hushed them, rubbing their back in a soothing manner, “Hey, it’s alright… Let it out.”

“Belphie…” They curled into his embrace, sobs tearing through their entire being, “That  _ bastard _ \- he- He fucking  _ shot himself _ … in front of me.” They paused, a bitter laugh slipping through their lips, “He told me to follow his lead, then… then he was just  _ gone _ .”

Belphegor felt water dripping onto his face. He looked up at the ceiling with wide eyes. There was no leak. He was crying. 

“I was fourteen,” they told him. Their voice prompted him to look back down, their face was covered in tears, almost a mirror image to when they first summoned him and his brothers into the human world. Only this time, it wasn’t just distress. Now there was anger, pain and hatred… but also grief. “I…”

He forced himself to stop them, squeezing their hand harder than what they would deem comfortable. They let out a small squeak of pain and he let go, “Sorry.”

They shook their head, “Nononono- It’s fine…” 

They wrapped their arms around him, hiding their face in the crook of his neck. “Can… we just stay like this?” they asked him, already feeling their energy seeping away from them.

“Yeah, of course we can. For as long as you need, Em, as long as you need.”


	3. three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao i left the last chapter totally unexplained but sorry for that sudden angst piece so here's something a bit nicer <3
> 
> (disclaimer, i do not own any of the Final Fantasy games or characters, they are simply mentioned in the story)

“Levia-chan~~!” Emiri called out into his room, waiting for his muffled  _ come in _ to enter the area. They pushed the door open with their foot and stepped inside. They were holding a tray of brownies, “I brought food.”

“They better not be spiked.”

“They’re not!” they insisted, placing the brownies on the desk and plopping down beside him, “Justin doesn’t offer me any of his crap.” They reached upwards and took two from the tray, holding one out for him.

He took a bite of the brownie, they smiled, and turned their attention to the game he was playing on their console. They were about to lay their head on his shoulder when they paused, “Levi?”

Leviathan hummed and glanced at them for a second, “What’s up?”

“Is it alright if I touch you? Like… lean on you or something?”

He nodded, “Uh, yeah, sure.”

A smile graced Emiri’s lips and they laid their head on his shoulder. Their bangs fell over their eyes and they huffed, brushing them away so they could watch him direct two of the characters through the market. The remake of Final Fantasy VII had been released a few days ago, and as a fan of the series, Emiri had pre-ordered it, hoping that Leviathan would enjoy it and appreciate it as a late birthday gift. 

The entire day, they had locked themselves up in their room, making sure to play through it before even telling Leviathan they had gotten the game.

They rose an eyebrow, recognizing the area he was in from when they were playing. They knew exactly what cutscene would come up once he found where he was going, and it took all of their willpower to not burst out in laughter.

He nudged them, “Brownie.”

They blinked a few times before realizing what he had said and offered him his brownie once again. The moment they looked back at the screen, they were met with the sight of Cloud and Andrea dancing together on stage at the Honeybee Inn. Emiri glanced up at him to see a slight look of confusion on his face.

“What is going on?”

They shrugged, giving him the rest of his brownie, “It’s part of the game just watch~”

“Do you have any of the other games for this series?”

They nodded and stood up, walking over to the cabinets beside the TV. 

“Most of them belonged to my aunt… and I only have consoles for some of the games.” They crouched down, picking through their extensive collection of games. Their aunt had been the one to introduce them to video games. They were fairly young at the time, but it was one of the few things that brought them relief when they were growing up. Whenever they visited her, they ended up bonding with her more than they ever had with their own mother. 

They pulled out Final Fantasy Type-0 and went back to his side. A small pang of pain ran through them, that was the last one their aunt had bought for them before she had passed away. 

“Wanna play this one next?” Emiri asked him, waving it just in his line of sight, but making sure they weren’t blocking the TV. 

“Sure.”

Sitting back down beside him, they laid their head back on his shoulder, chewing away at their brownie as he continued to move forward in the game.

They pouted, “At this rate you’re gonna finish faster than I did.”

“Heh- Wait a second, DID!?”

They froze, swallowing the last of their brownie and jumping away from him, “Uh…”

“Em!”

“Er… Hehehehe…” They reached upwards, laughing sheepishly as they scratched the back of their neck. 

“When did you get the game?”

Emiri could tell he was holding back for their sake, and they smiled a bit, “The day after your birthday!”

He opened his mouth, ready to complain about them not telling him sooner, but they cut him off before he could even start speaking.

“In my defense, this series was the first video game I ever played, so it’s really special to me, alright?” They moved back to his side, crossing their legs as they continued, “Aren’t I doing enough by sharing it with you?"

“Ehhh… Fine. You win.” He paused the game, turning to grab a brownie from the tray, “These are really good.”

“Thanks,” they mumbled, picking at their nails. The black and gold nail polish they had on was beginning to chip. They held their hand up to the light, “I should get Asmo to do my nails for my birthday…"

He turned to them, silently chewing away at his brownie as they continued mumbling to themselves.

“...Maybe Nico and Justin could come over… They already know about you guys anyways.” They looked up at him, “What do you think?”

Leviathan hummed, contemplating their idea. Emiri’s friends were pretty cool. There was always something new going on when they came over, like that one time Nicoletta brought over a shit load of photos of when she and Emiri were in high school, documenting most of their adventures before they met Justin. There was another instance where Justin had walked through the door and tossed the newest volume of the Black Butler manga Emiri’s way. They had caught it, asking how he managed to get it. His answer? He stole it off his neighbour’s kid.

“That’d be cool,” he told them, “When’s your birthday anyways? You never told us.”

“April 17.”

His eyes widened, “That’s like… three days from now, why didn’t you say anything!?”

Emiri shrugged, stretching their arms out. The sleeves of their black and white striped turtleneck peaked out from underneath their sweatshirt and they scrunched their nose, “I don’t usually celebrate it every year, sorta slipped my mind.”

He watched as they readjusted their sleeves, pulling their sweatshirt back over the turtleneck’s sleeves. Once they were finished, he passed them a brownie, “Well, you’ve got seven  _ all powerful _ demons at your side this year, and one of them is Asmo.”

They snorted taking the brownie from him and taking a small bite, “Crap- I told Beel I’d give him some of these after I brought them to you.” 

He chuckled, watching as they stood up and grabbed the plate of brownies that was sitting on the tray, “I’ll be right back.”

As they left the room, he picked the controller back and up and resumed the game, already beginning to plan on what his gift to Emiri would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was supposed to come out the day after levi's bday but i got sidetracked bc of o n l i n e l e a r n i n g so here we are :)
> 
> welp, hope yall enjoyed it 
> 
> if you wanna bully me for the last chapter my twt is @soichirios ;)


	4. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Emiri's birthday!!! Undetailed movie night, birthday greeting from Mammon and *drumroll please* what's a work of mine without a touch of angst ;D
> 
> TW for a brief mention of suicide, abuse and death

Emiri’s birthday was slow- as usual. They rarely had a reason to celebrate it, and almost never did unless Nicoletta or their aunt had put them up to it. A soft sigh escaped their lips as they stared up at the ceiling. Another restless night, another year gone by, another shitty year… Well. Not  _ that _ shitty. 

Ever since the demon brothers had entered their life, things seemed a bit easier. More chaotic, but definitely worth dealing with. If anything, Emiri enjoyed it. They found comfort in their company.

A knock came from their bedroom door and they sat up, “Who is it?”

“Yoooo, it’s me.”

They snorted, “Come on in.”

The door cracked open and Mammon’s head popped into the room. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“Listen,” he began, leaning against the wall as they climbed out of their bed. They grabbed a random hoodie from their closet, pulling it on, “I’m not sayin’ it because I like ya or anythin’ but happy birthday.”

They poked their head out through the hoodie, arms still not fully in. Once they pulled it over their body, they ran to Mammon, engulfing him in a hug. He let out a soft yelp, laughing softly as they rested their head on his chest. He hugged them back, patting their head.

“You’re so damn small. It’s sorta cute,” he mumbled.

“Says you.” Emiri pulled away from him, reaching up to ruffle his hair, “Aren’t you one of the shortest brothers?”

He smacked their hand away, “Shaddup…”

They walked over to their mirror, snickering at his reaction. They began to adjust their clothing and hair while listening to him talk.

“We made breakfast for ya, and Nico and Justin are on their way,” he said, watching as they poked their cheeks. “Today’s all about you, human.”

Satisfied with themself, they turned to him and smiled. It was nice when they were happy, the smiles they gave the brothers were warm and sunny- filled with affection for them. They held a hand out to him, “Let’s go? Before Beel eats everything.”

He took their hand and led them down the stairs and into the living room, not realizing what he was doing until Asmo nearly  _ screeched  _ in surprise. 

Emiri laughed as Mammon let go of their hand, their eyes crinkling into crescent moons and they doubled over, holding their stomach.

“Oh my- Your… pFFt- Your expression!” they gasped, leaning on the wall for support.

He grumbled, “You’re lucky it’s your birthday.”

Once they regained their posture, they waved at Asmo, “Morning!”

They walked over to the loveseat, perching themselves on the armrest.

“Someone’s in a good mood today~” Asmo sang, going to their side and placing a hand on their forearm, “What happened up there?” He rose an eyebrow suggestively, glancing over at Mammon.

They didn’t meet his gaze. “I got a hug and a few words from  _ the _ Great Mammon,” Emiri hummed, playing with the hem of their shirt. Mammon huffed and made his way to the dining room. They tapped Asmo’s hand, nonchalantly changing the subject, “Wanna do my nails later? I still want the same design, I just suck at doing them myself.” They pouted, showing him how the black and gold nail polish had chipped away.

“Of course! I’ll do them after breakfast!” 

Emiri smiled and hopped off the armrest, “Alright! What’s for breakfast then?”

*******

Emiri sank back into their rightful spot in the loveseat, they were holding a small teddy bear in their arms. A black ‘E’ embroidered on the stomach, dirty white fur. They were smiling as the brothers, Nicoletta and Justin joined them in the living room. They swung their legs over the armrest, snorting when Justin lifted their upper half up so he could sit under them.

They reached a hand up, ruffling through his white bangs and watching as he scrunched his nose up. 

“What movies are we watching?” Nicoletta asked, leaning against the loveseat. Mammon, Lucifer and Satan were seated on the couch, while the others were lounging on bean bag chairs Emiri had found in the basement the other day.

“Em’s picking!” Beel said, already halfway through his bowl of popcorn. 

“Before we start, what time is it?” Emiri asked, beginning to browse through the movies available.

Lucifer looked over at the clock, “It’s nearly five. Why do you ask?”

They smacked Justin’s hand away from their face, glaring at him before explaining, “I know it’s my birthday but you guys barely know anything about me. I didn’t even tell Levi my birthdate until a few days ago. So, as a thanks for making this one of the best birthdays I’ve had in awhile, you get to ask me two questions each. It can be about anything. If it’s something really sad I won’t answer it until after midnight.”

They glanced over at Belphie, who only gave them a comforting smile in return. 

“What do you think?

*******

A few hours had passed, and Emiri had answered almost all of their questions. Two had been left untouched, saved for the next day. Most of them were along the lines of their high school life, as well as some of their interests.

Emiri stretched as  _ Sleepy Hollow _ ’s credits began to roll through, glancing over at the clock. They clasped their hands together, “Hey hey hey! It’s past midnight, time to be sad!”

Justin groaned, smacking their arms, “It is five minutes past your birthday, Em,  _ five _ minutes. Can you put the angsty backstory to the side until we get some sleep.”

Nicoletta tutted from her spot on the floor, meeting his gaze, “The early hours of night are ideal for sad backstories,  _ mio amico _ .”

He snorted, “Aight, aight, get to it then. Whose question are you answering first?”

Emiri sat up, adjusting their place in the chair so that both of them were sitting up straight. They laid their head on Justin’s shoulder, looking at the brothers. 

“Who asked the one about my family? Y’all really went and snuck two questions into one, huh…” they mumbled, They all seemed more attentive with their postures, no longer slouching or training their eyes on the TV. “That’s a lot of baggage, but I’ll answer”

Nico rolled her eyes. 

“Just saying, Belphie knows some of it, but I didn’t tell him everything.” A few quick glances were given to the demon in question before they continued. “I lived in America when I was younger, moved here when my aunt adopted me. My parents didn’t… die, or anything like that, they just got arrested. Negligence of their children, abuse, fraud, some other bullshit. I don’t even know if they’re alive.”

They heard a low growl and Lucifer whispering for someone to calm down. 

“As for my brother.” They held the bear up, squishing it’s stomach. “This belonged to him. He died the day our parents were taken in,” their voice softened as they said, “Shot himself right in front of me… almost followed him…”

Justin squeezed their shoulder, mumbling something in Mandarin that they couldn’t understand. They just knew he was comforting them. 

“Zeke was my twin, older by five minutes. Told me it was the worst five minutes of his life, being alone with our parents.” 

Out of everyone in the room, only Beel and Belphie had noticeable reactions. The sympathy in their eyes was something unlike Emiri had ever seen. Not even when they had told Belphie about their brother’s death. 

They wiped a tear away with their sleeve, laughing softly. It wasn't bitter, Belphie noted. If anything, the laugh sounded airy, lighthearted even. 

“He’s happy now. I know he is, but,” they sniffled softly, allowing Justin to press a soft kiss to the top of their head, “I think it’s only because I managed to find a new family that he’s happy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyyyyyy (hey hey! ore-sama sanJOU!) 
> 
> lol uh, i managed to get this up two minutes before midnight, bless my idiot brain! sorry if this chapter felt a bit lacking, i really wanted to get it up for emiri's birthday :)
> 
> anywho~
> 
> as always, kudos and comments are appreciated, and if you wanna yell at me for writing angst, my twitter is @/soichirios


	5. five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (if you listen carefully you can hear me cackling like a madman bc ive totally fallen for mammon)

Nico shrieked when she entered Emiri’s bedroom, not expecting to see an extra body in bed with them. She calmed down when she realized it was just Mammon, but covered her mouth, the sheer volume of her shriek dawning on her like a bird finally learning to fly.

Emiri sat up slowly, rubbing their face as they turned to look at her, “Could you be any louder?”

“Shit- I’m so sorry! I just… didn’t realize…” She pointed at Mammon, who was still somehow asleep. Her voice dropped to a surprised whisper, “What’s he doing in your bed!?”

They were careful in getting out of bed, placing their brother’s teddy bear in Mammon’s arm as a replacement for themselves. Emiri walked over to Nico, took her hand and led her out into the hallway. They closed the door and rose an eyebrow, “We were just sleeping.”

Nico threw her hands up in a mock surrender, “Alright! Fine, fine, I’ll just ignore the texts you sent me at  _ 2 in the morning  _ about being drunk and alone with  _ Mammon _ .” She gave them a pointed look, put her hands on her hips and said, “You have a crush on Mr. Moron in there, Em. Admit it.”

They shook their head, pulling on the sleeves of the hoodie they had worn to bed, “I don’t! I swear, last night we just slept. Nothing else!”

“And, I believe you, ok? I know you aren’t the type of person to have drunk sex.” There was a brief pause and Emiri swore they could feel some of their soul just leave their body, “However! It’s not alright to ignore your feelings. Anyone can tell you have a soft spot for him, Levi and Belphie. Especially Mammon, like, it’s almost gag-worthy.”

They smacked Nico’s arm.

She smiled, brushing some of her hair behind her ear, “I’m just telling you to be careful, alright?” She began to walk away, making for the stairs. As she made her way downstairs, she called out, “By the way, I left some food for you two in the fridge!”

Emiri crossed their arms, murmuring, “Sometimes I wonder how I put up with her…”

They turned and went back into their room, surprised to see Mammon awake and examining their brother’s teddy bear. They made their way to his side, sitting down on the bed.

“Your brother’s name was Zeke, right?” he asked softly, voice still rough from his sleep. His bed hair was cute, Emiri noted, crossing their legs and nodding. He ran a finger over the embroidered E and hummed, “Why an E then?”

“Zeke is short for Ezekiel.”

“Oh.” They smiled at the look of surprise on his face. He returned the bear to them, “Where’d ya go?”

“Mmmm… it’s a secret!” Emiri giggled at his reaction.  _ It’s adorable when he pouts, _ they thought.  _ He’s adorable. Everything about him is amazing. _

“Let’s go back to sleep, then?” 

Emiri paused before answering him, their own epiphany hitting them like a train. They liked him.  _ A lot.  _ They stood up and placed the bear on their desk. When they turned around, they saw that Mammon was pouting again, “I’m coming, I’m coming~”

His smile and the small hint of blush on his cheeks made them happy. It was all they could think about as they got back into bed with him. He wrapped an arm around them, pulling their body against his. Emiri’s forehead came to rest on his chest, the slow rising and falling of his chest did little to calm their beating heart.

Mammon was the first of the brothers to appear that night. It was raining, they were alone, standing outside of a restaurant with drenched clothes and a shocked expression on their face. He had been playing pool in his room, entirely dry and extremely bored. He blinked, and he came face-to-face with a rather feminine person. Pale skin, tired blue-black eyes, a rounded face and pink lips, drowning in rain water and tears. 

It was surprisingly cold, he was only in a tank top, sweatpants and socks, his shoes left abandoned in the Devildom. He grimaced. He hated the feeling of wet socks. The human, on the other hand, was dressed rather formally. A navy blue button up, white turtleneck, jeans and a trench coat. If not for their look of despair he would’ve thought they were a model.

He was about to ask them who they were, and how they had managed to summon him into the Human Realm. But then they started crying.

_ “Hey, are you alright?” _ he had asked them, slowly approaching them so they wouldn’t be more afraid than they already were. 

They shook their head, a mess of soaking black bangs came to cover their eyes.

_ “What’s going on?”  _ He turned to see his brothers, all standing in the rain, just as confused as he was.

_ “I’m not entirely sure… but I think we just got summoned?” _

He remembered when Emiri introduced themselves, holding a tray of tea and in a fresh pair of clothes. They had offered the brothers clothing as well. He wasn’t sure who it belonged to, since there was no one else in the house when they entered. 

_ “My name is Emiri Miller.”  _ Their voice was soft, and they wore a small smile. It was fake. Almost as convincing as Satan’s. _ “I’m sorry about summoning you all out of the blue… I guess I really haven’t had the best day.”  _

Their hand reached up to touch Mammon’s face, and he snapped out of his thoughts. Looking down at them, he rose an eyebrow, “Whaddya think you’re doing?”

Emiri smiled, “What are you thinking about, huh? You seem concentrated.  _ Really _ concentrated.”

Placing his hand over theirs, he whispered, “You.”

They squirmed, hiding their face in his chest. This had somehow become their normal, hanging out in Emiri’s bedroom, sleeping, cuddling, talking. Deep inside, Emiri knew that they were excusing this for normal friendly behaviour. They were so used to platonic love that eventually only a thin line separated their view of platonic and romantic love. They removed their hand from his face, placing it on his chest and mumbling, “I hate you.”

“How can you hate me?” he gasped, feigning a hurt tone, “I am THE Great Mammon! You should be thrilled to have me at your side!!!”

Emiri laughed, looking up at him, “I am.”

It was his turn to be flustered. Mammon blushed, an embarrassed look coming onto his face. He sheepishly rubbed the back on his neck, smiling at them softly. “Ah… I know I asked but… Listen, Em-”

Their laughter cut him off. They weren’t ready to hear what he wanted to say. 

“C’mon, I thought you wanted to go back to sleep.” 

He smiled at them, wrapping his arms back around them and patting their head, “Alright, alright. It can wait.” 

Settling in their place, they hummed. His embrace always felt safe.

*******

Emiri couldn’t sit up. Sitting up meant waking Mammon, and waking Mammon meant losing the chance to stare at his handsome, heroically charismatic- 

They froze. 

_ Emiri. No. We are not going to fawn over the demon in our bed.  _ They scolded themselves, closing their eyes and hoping they were just dreaming. Last night didn’t feel real at all. Nor did whatever the hell happened when Nicoletta entered the room unannounced, teased Emiri, left them  _ alone _ in their  _ bedroom _ with  _ Mammon _ . They opened their eyes again to the sight of his sleeping face. Nope, not a dream.

Emiri groaned internally,  _ I brought this on myself, didn’t I? _

He turned in his sleep, letting go of them. They let out a soft sigh of relief, already missing the warmth of his embrace. Carefully, Emiri got out of bed, walking over to their desk. They sat down, grabbing their journal and a pen, and began to write.

_ [ I have no idea what date it is today. That’s an amazing start to my morning pages, isn’t it? I think it’s the twenty-first? It might be. Hopefully I’m right or I’m screwed. ] _

They paused, glancing back at their bed to make sure Mammon was still asleep.

_ [ Last night… I can’t remember half of it. All I know is that I somehow, wasn’t drunk enough to have a hangover- thank fuck- but extremely tired. Definitely extremely tired. That’s probably why I can’t remember summoning Mammon or inviting him to stay the night. It’s just… so frustrating, y’know?   
_ _ Nico swung by earlier- maybe 5 A.M? Not too sure, but she looked like she was getting back from work. If she was, there should be food downstairs. I think she mentioned there being some… That’s… a good thing. I’m hungry, but don’t want to cook, or order. Ordering is a lot of work too… At least I don’t have work today. ] _

Emiri ran a hand through their hair, scrunching their nose in annoyance. These things were annoying to write, but helped a lot with keeping their creative juices going. Three pages, every single morning, don’t read the old entries, don’t delay the writing process.

_ [ Mammon… he was going to say something to me last night. I’m almost 70% sure I know what he was gonna tell me, but assuming things will only make me feel worse if that’s not the case. He’s so- good? I think that’s the right word. He’s so good to me, so kind, so- GAH,,, whY CAN’T I FORMULATE A SINGLE THOUGHT NOW? All that’s in my mind is how friggin’ cute this man- scratch that, this  _ demon  _ is. Like, the sheer audacity of it all! I wanna see him model one day. Maybe Nico could take the photos… I should- nO. ] _

They stopped themselves before they could finish the sentence. The past was the past. Look to the future. Turn around, stare at Mammon’s demonically (literally) stunning face. Sleeping. In their bed. 

He turned again, his back facing them. They let out a sigh, and smacked their forehead with the palm of their hand, completely forgetting that they had been holding a pencil.

“Ouch!” They grit their teeth and glared at Mammon’s back.  _ This is your fault. _

They frowned and turned back to the journal, placing the pencil against the paper and beginning to write.

_ [ There’s just something about him. I don’t know what it is, but he makes me feel safe again. Like Justin and Nico do, but multiply that by a hundred. Hah- safe. Around a demon, no less…   
_ _ I want something more from him, I know that much, the only problem is that I’m not sure if I’m ready for that large of a commitment again. I have a pact with him, I can easily command him to never hurt me. Never betray me. But, I don’t feel the need to. ] _

They couldn’t go any further. They knew they should be writing more, but they were scared to face their feelings for Mammon. As they shut the journal, Emiri heard soft groaning coming from the bed. They turned, confused. 

Emiri stood up and went over to the bed, sitting on the edge and placing a hand on Mammon’s shoulder. They pushed his body slightly, turning him so they could see his face. They frowned, not recognizing the expression on his face. Was he having a nightmare?

_ Huh… I didn’t think that was possible for demons… But…  _ They thought back to what Belphie had told them about the fall and their sister. 

They shook him, “Mammon, wake up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cLIFFhaNGeRS Bo OOOO OOO ScaRY >:D
> 
> what emiri was writing in their journal are a little something i do called "morning pages", basically you wake up, and the first thing you do is write. three pages of whatever- if you get stuck, just write that you're stuck until something comes to mind. (honestly these help with writing- and rly any other art form- soooo much). i read about them in a book i got a few years back called the artist's way by julia cameron!!!
> 
> anywho~ if you, too, are head over heels for mammon, follow me on twitter (@soichirios) >:) i swear im nice
> 
> as always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated <3


	6. six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter ended up going smwhere i didnt plan for it to go

There was a large amount of time between falling and hitting the ground. The time spent suspended in air can be rather terrifying. Of course, it can be thrilling to some, but the entire time Mammon had spent falling from the Celestial Realm to the Devildom was painstakingly horrifying. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't close his eyes, he couldn't scream, he couldn't cry. All he felt was the wind slipping through his fingers, the inability of his wings to do anything.

He could see it. The fading figures from above, the angels he once called his friends and family, his own _father_ , watching as he fell down... down... down. He could see the falling figures of his brothers. The figures of Belphegor and Beelzebub holding tight to each other. Asmodeus was beside him, screaming- how did he have the ability to do so? Leviathan was the farthest from him, his fall had only begun. Mammon grit his teeth and prepared himself to hit the ground. He'd be ready for whenever that would happen.

His fingers relaxed, eyes closed as he reluctantly accepted his fate. They had been fighting with for L ~~ucifer~~ ilith. This was worth it, for h ~~is~~ er sake, for his little ~~big brother~~ sister. As long as ~~s~~ he survived... it'd be fine. He wouldn't mind never stepping foot in the Celestial Realm again. As long as ~~s~~ he survived, they'd be able to be happy. All seven of them, together, as a family. No matter where they were.

_Maybe,_ he thought, _maybe the fall will kill me._ His eyes shot open. If the fall were to kill him, it'd kill the others too. They'd all die. He shook his head, attempting to maneuver his body into a dive. If he could get his wings to work, if he could gain control of himself for at least a few minutes, he could live. He could save his brothers. They would live. The fall wouldn’t kill them.

That was when it hit him.

Lucifer and Lilith were nowhere to be seen. Were they together? He hoped they were. Asmodeus had stopped screaming, and the only noises he made were the echoes of his cries. Beelzebub and Belphegor were still wrapped around each other. That was good. The damage they'd take from hitting the ground would be lessened. Where was Leviathan? He couldn't see him anymore. Perhaps he managed to gain some control of himself and slowed the fall. Grunting, Mammon pulled Asmodeus into his arms, forcing his wings to curl around them in spite of the pain that shot through his back. He'd probably never fly again after this.

He cradled Asmo’s head against his chest, trying to help him calm down. The fall wouldn't be the worst part. It would be hitting the ground. They needed to stay together if they wanted to soften the blow they'd take.

By the time they hit the ground, Asmodeus had mostly calmed down. He clutched Mammon’s torn garments and tried to ignore the entire situation. When they landed, it was Mammon who was shielding him from the brunt of it all. His back hit the soil first, sending a wave of nearly unbearable pain rushing through his body. He grunted, tightening his hold on his brother as they tumbled down the hill.

Once they had stopped, Mammon was almost certain he had died. If not for the sound of Asmodeus trying to keep him conscious and the excruciating pain he felt at the base of his wings, he was sure he would've died. He curled onto his side, gritting his teeth and trying to ignore his growing need to cry.

There was another thud. _Probably the twins,_ Mammon thought, Leviathan couldn't have reached the ground yet. By the time he was nearly halfway, Leviathan had only begun to fall.

“As-asmo…” he called out to his brother. He tried to sit up, but he could barely even lift his arms. At this rate, Leviathan wouldn't survive the fall. _No._ He couldn't have that. He couldn't lose anymore of the only family he had ever known. He had probably already lost Lucifer and Lilith, he didn't want to risk losing anyone else. He raised his voice, hoping to successfully gain Asmodeus' attention. “ASMO!”

When Asmodeus replied, his voice was shaking. Why did Mammon save him? Why didn't he try to find Lilith with the little time he had in the air? whywhywhy **_WHY_ **!? He took a deep breath and placed a trembling hand on Mammon's forearm, "I... I'm here. I'm here, what is it?"

"Levi... find him... he'll die if he," he groaned. The pain in his back was gone, but he still couldn’t get up. "If he hits the ground alone- he'll-"

Asmodeus stood up before Mammon could finish the sentence. He wanted him to save their brother. He had to. He absolutely had to. Asmodeus ignored the pain he felt, he could ignore it if it meant saving someone. If it meant saving his brother, he'd ignore being on the edge of death. The moment Asmodeus found Leviathan, the moment he cushioned the fall of his brother, Mammon closed his eyes.

_I’ll find Lucifer once I wake up._

*******

He woke to the sound of someone calling his name. He cracked his eyes open, glancing around. He wasn’t in the woods anymore, he was in a bedroom. Not his own, but someone’s. There was a strange warmth on his arm, whoever was touching him was shaking.

“...mon, hey, Mammon!”

Was he alive? He felt far too animated in that moment. It was as if everything he did was pre-written, decided for him before he had awakened. He turned his head to the side, blinking away the threat of tears. 

“Am I dead?”

There was a squeak of surprise from beside him, the hand on his arm tightened slightly, “D-don’t say that… You’re alive.”

“Why?”

“Mammon, no…” Their voice broke off into a soft whimper.

He looked towards the source of the voice. It was Emiri. The first thing he noticed was that they were crying. He propped himself up on his elbow, reaching to wipe away their tears with a careful hand, “Hey… Em, I’m sorry, I just… I had a nightmare, that’s all.”

Emiri threw their arms around him, crying into the crook of his neck. “Please… don’t say that… don’t question why you’re alive.”

He was silent, wrapping his arms around them. Mammon let his tears fall. He was so stupid. He was alive, the Fall was so long ago. He was here, here with Emiri and, of course, he still had his brothers.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispered, kissing the crown of their head. They shook their head, holding him tight.

“It’s not your fault.” Emiri’s hands were warm against his clothed back. Their warmth and their voice were the only things grounding him. “Don’t apologize for what you’ve been through, Mammon. I don’t know the whole story, but don’t you dare apologize.”

He took a deep breath, inhaling their scent as he calmed himself down. It was comforting, having them hold him, being told kind words. He almost whined when they pulled away, chasing after the feeling of having Emiri in his arms.

They reached up, placing their hands on his face and squishing his cheeks.

“Wha- Hey!”

Emiri smiled, let go of his cheeks and carefully wiped away his tears, “You don’t look as cool when you cry… Besides crying is my thing, you can’t take my thing from me.”

A soft laugh escaped him. He took Emiri’s hands into his, “Crying shouldn’t be your thing.”

“Hm?” 

“I should be your thing.” He blurted it out without thinking. They let go of his hands, and shot to their feet. Mammon probably would’ve found how fast they moved insulting if not for how enamoured with them he was. 

It was cute, the way Emiri’s cheeks became red faster than Mammon’s bank balance. That was besides the point. He bit the inside of his cheek and ran his hands through his hair, “Don’t jump away like that! You should at least be grateful to have _The Great Mammon_ at your beck and call! I stayed the night with ya, didn’t I?”

Emiri pouted, and sat back down on the bed with their arms crossed. He shouldn’t have said that, that wasn’t something they needed to hear yet, something they didn’t want to hear. Yes, they liked him. Yes, they enjoyed being with him. But a relationship… that wasn’t something they were ready for. Well, it wasn’t like he was actually asking them to go out with him. Right? He was definitely joking. There was no way he’d actually like them, romantically. That wouldn’t have been very funny though. In fact, him saying that wasn’t funny at all. Especially right after they had been crying. _Now is not the proper time for a joke, you damn demon._

“I kinda regret asking you to stay now,” they mumbled, “Drunk me is an idiot.”

From the way he frowned, Emiri could tell that they seemed to have insulted him. They didn’t apologize, pulling at their sleeves and standing up again. They walked over to their desk and began clearing it, stuffing the journal in one of the drawers. Emiri could still see him in the corner of their eye, awkwardly sitting on their bed.

“There’s food in the kitchen,” they told him, crouching down to pick up some of their scattered papers, “Nico brought it.”

He hummed, “Alright… I’ll just grab somethin’ then go.” Whatever he muttered afterwards went unheard, Emiri had stopped paying attention.

When the door shut, they whimpered, pulling their knees against their chest as they sat on the floor.

_Push him away,_ they thought. _He’s a demon. He could probably be as bad as your parents, maybe worse. Definitely worse._

Mammon was different though. He didn’t try to hurt them, he didn’t actually mean his insults. He was kind, just really bad at expressing himself sometimes. 

They blinked, sighing as they spotted his jacket in the corner. 

_Damnit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my perception of the fall is really odd to me lol,, 
> 
> anywayyysss i hope yall enjoyed this chapter :) if u wanna yell ab obey me w me my twt is @soichirios !! 
> 
> as always, comments or kudos are greatly appreciated <3


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